The latest in health, medicine and technology

Monthly Archives: February 2016

Synopsis: It’s a psychological paradox that the greater the number of people present when a person needs help, the less likely help will be rendered. Experts discuss reasons why this effect occurs, how it can be broken by technology, and the background of intense research into the effect sparked by the first internationally famous “bystander effect” crime.

Synopsis: Egg donation can solve infertility, but it can be a minefield of emotional risks, especially if the donor and recipient are family or friends. An author/journalist who has donated twice with vastly different results discusses the technology and what to look out for when approaching egg donation.

Synopsis: Mosquito-transmitted Zika virus has arrived in Central and South America, and while most people are not affected by it, the virus has been linked to microcephaly, a severe birth defect. Experts discuss the virus, how it’s transmitted, its spread to the US, and how to protect yourself from it.

Synopsis: Clinical trials are much of the basis for the practice of medicine. Funding of trials has dramatically shifted so that today, trials paid for by pharmaceutical and device makers outnumber publically funded trials 6-to-1. Some studies indicate this makes bias in trials more likely, jeopardizing public health. Experts discuss.

Synopsis: Stuttering has been blamed even fairly recently on parenting, but new research has several new findings: a structural deficiency in the brain’s wiring in stutterers; an inability to perceive rhythms; and a much more successful way to treat stuttering. Experts discuss the new advances.